Phone for speedo

[Madmag]

Going through my watched threads and having a ”tidy up”. In the end I bought a cheap, £20 iPhone off e bay. Downloaded a few speedo apps selected the one that had just a simple digit readout where you can change colour and units very simply. Works a treat, driver delighted with it. Interestingly Sat Nav & this show the same speed but approx. 3-4 mph slower than van speedo so we make allowances for this. Thanks for all the ideas and help. really suited.

 

[tonyidle]

Thanks for the replies so far. We do have a sat nav which displays speed but don’t always use it. Mainly get used when on continent not in UK. Also husband is a complete technophobe, would use a dial phone again if possible! So much so I’ve just bought him one with big keys etc”for the elderly”! This means sat nav is pointed to me so not visible to home when driving.
I did consider an old IPhone and cursed selling my old one but was concerned that the older models couldn’t be updated. This would certainly be a simple option as all my stuff is Apple, was going Android as cheaper option that’s all. Can most of the apps still be used on an iphone4?

Or one of these. It can be used as HUD or in the normal position. Cheap enough to try?

HEAD-UP DISPLAY HUD GPS 12V DIGITAL LED SPEEDO SPEED WARNING Car Bus Van Pickup* | eBay

1x HUD Display. Display MPH or KM/h. A: Press the Up Button or Down Button to increase or decrease the speed rate. Compatible with all Cars & Trucks. No wiring needed to the VSS (vehicle speed signal).

rover.ebay.com

 

[PeteH]

Snap!!!. This on E-Bay? http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-5...0001&campid=5338547443&icep_item=173940400764

 

[G-RMPS]

My 63’ reg Fiat speedo is impossible to read whenever there are trees or buildings alongside the road.

I use the satnav speed readout all the time.

I’ve been to Specsavers and fly an aeroplane. The “speedo” in the plane is unaffected by trees and buildings - I hope!

 

[gus-lopez]

Just tell him how fast he is going when he asks.

Oh, and it's probably illegal to not be able to see the speedo instruments as he's driving. Not trying to be negative, but make him use the Satnav

No it isn't. Anyone requiting distance glasses to drive will not be able to read the speedo info.
Anyone wearing prescription distance sun glasses in the darkest shade legally allowed will not be able to seethe display or what the sat nav shows without lifting them.
Anyone wearing the legally allowed sun glasses entering a tunnel will not even be able to see the road without lifting them.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[autorouter]

Colour makes a difference. Some people can read text in one colour, green for example, but have difficulty with other colours. Even assuming they don't have a colour defect, which is more common than you might think, especially men.

 

[DuxDeluxe]

I’ve got some speedos but pretty hard to fit a phone in them as the budgie doesn’t like being smuggled by himself......

 

[Vipar]

Having read all the threads about poor visibility of dials on the Ducato and having tried bits of lights etc and looked at all the stand alone GPS units around I have decided to go with using a smartphone with a speedo app loaded. I’ve asked all the younger members of the family if they have an old phone in a drawer somewhere but none suitable. I am now looking at either cheap new ones or one off e bay. I know it sounds a bit OTT but it will have other uses. My question is, what do I need in terms of memory etc. I can get a new phone off Amazon or E bay for £26 seems like a basic, probably Chinese smart phone or am I better going for a second hand one with more memory??? I intend to play around with a few different apps to see which is best & then if space available perhaps put a mapping/sat nav on as a back up. Thanks

Hi madman if you let me know the app you wish to use I will try it on my old backup 4s which I keep in my car as I am always forgetting my iPhone 6. If you buy the mph gadget shown in an earlier post you will still have to take that with you as it looks valuable. At least a phone will have other functions that you can use to store music or p4u app.

 

[Emmit]

I bought one of these;

We have fitted 'bigger' tyres to our 'van which means that the speedo gives very little 'wiggle' room when it comes to being over the limit

Add to that a UK spec speedo where the Kms are not 'In your face' and with the french setting more and more speed traps, I thought discretion was the better part of valor.

As an aside, I've just rented a Kia and, in addition to the normal speedo, it had a numeric speed indicator set within the instrument cluster which was much easier to read with peripheral vision. Hopefully the new purchase will replicate the experience.

Ebay

C60S Digital Car GPS Speedometer Speed Display KM/h MPH For Car Bike Motorcycle
312754464243

 

[PeteH]

SWMBO`s Latest, has the option to have the speed displayed in large digital figures in the centre of the console.

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[klaatu]

My car has a 'true' HUD where my speed, the current speed limit, and satnav instructions are projected onto the windscreen, I find it invaluable. I'd like to have the same (or just the current speed at least) for the Ducato.

 

[Steve and Denise]

Problem with mine is the bezel plastic on the rev counter has started to show cracks after approx 8 weeks. can still read it.View attachment 312074

I am just having a conversation with Fiat about this very same issue under warranty, the dealers said impact damage, so I went to Fiat directly.

 

[SpeedyDux]

Even though I can just about read the X290 speedo in mph, the corresponding kph markings are too small and almost useless. How did FIAT get away with such bad clocks on the Ducato. Every car I've driven has a more legible speedometer. Even the FIAT Panda does it much better.

Forced to rely on the satnag as a kph speedo when abroad.

 

[63720]

Having read all the threads about poor visibility of dials on the Ducato and having tried bits of lights etc and looked at all the stand alone GPS units around I have decided to go with using a smartphone with a speedo app loaded. I’ve asked all the younger members of the family if they have an old phone in a drawer somewhere but none suitable. I am now looking at either cheap new ones or one off e bay. I know it sounds a bit OTT but it will have other uses. My question is, what do I need in terms of memory etc. I can get a new phone off Amazon or E bay for £26 seems like a basic, probably Chinese smart phone or am I better going for a second hand one with more memory??? I intend to play around with a few different apps to see which is best & then if space available perhaps put a mapping/sat nav on as a back up. Thanks

I have done this with my first Sony smartphone because it's difficult to see the dials when driving into bright sunlight especially in the winter. I uninstalled all non essential apps and bloatware and download a Speedo app from Google. It now works a treat so I bought a suction bracket and keep it permanently connected with a usb cable.

 

[Vipar]

Madman
Just downloaded GPS Speedometer and odometer free works on heads up on my old iPhone 4s

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[Ingwe]

I’ve got some speedos but pretty hard to fit a phone in them as the budgie doesn’t like being smuggled by himself......

Damn! Now I've got to try and erase that image burned into my brain.

 

[DuxDeluxe]

Damn! Now I've got to try and erase that image burned into my brain.

Picture this.......

......a duck wearing Speedo’s with a mobile phone shoved down there. It gets interesting when on silent vibrate and it rings......

you’re welcome........ no charge for the service

 

[DuxDeluxe]

......and with the optional mankini........

 

[Vipar]

Good cartoon Characters ducky. If I could draw like that I would never have taken up photography ?

 

[kevenh]

Interestingly Sat Nav & this show the same speed but approx. 3-4 mph slower than van speedo so we make allowances for this. Thanks for all the ideas and help. really suited.

The speedo can overread but by law can't underread.
The gps based devices are accurate to +/-1m/s or similar.
I'd trust the latter devices

EDIT: well, trying to get some detail for gpsr was a can of worms but they don't suffer tyre pressure /wear change like the speedo

But over a 10s period a GPSr is likely more accurate than a -0% +10% speedo :?

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[rod_vw]

I don't know if this has been suggested before but I use a simple dash cam which has a speed readout on the screen when driving. That kills two birds with one stone.

 

[Vipar]

Sample

 

[DuxDeluxe]

Good cartoon Characters ducky. If I could draw like that I would never have taken up photography ?

Confession time. They were not mine. A cartoonist friend did them for me in about one minute flat